Gas-driven air-compressor.



c. E.-SARGENT. GAS DRIVEN AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED AUGJI, I911.

Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

THE NORRIS PETERS COH-PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON. 04 c.

. C. E. SARGENT.

GAS DRIVEN AIR COMPRESSOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-H. 1911.

1, 1 36,488 Patented Apr. 20, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

'HE NORRIS PETERS C0,. PHOTO-LITHOU WASHINGTON D. C.

CHARLES IE. SLARGENT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAS-DRIVEN AIR-COMPRESSOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 2c, 1915.

Application filed August 11, 1911. Serial No. 643,538.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. SARenN'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gas Driven Air Compressors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in gas-driven air-compressors, and is fully described and explained in the specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved device; Fig. 2 is asection on the radial line 2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an elevation of a portion of the fly-wheel, being that portion particularly shown as Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is an elevation of the cam and adjacent mechanism; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5 of Fig. 4; Fig. 6- is a vertical section on the line 6 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 7 is a detailed section through the starting valve.

Referring to the drawings, 8 is the upper portion of a cylinder and 9 is the lower portion, the same being somewhat larger than the upper portion, the two together forming what is commonly known in the art as a diflerential cylinder.

10 is a piston having a projecting flange 11 at its lower end so that the piston divides the space within the cylinder into three parts, in an upper or explosion chamher, an annular chamber and a lower portion having communication with the crankcase.

12 is a crank-case containing fly-wheels connected by a crank-pin after the ordinary practice. One side of the crank-case has a sector-shaped opening 13 adapted to register with a correspondingly-shaped depression 14 in the adjacent fly-wheel, so that, at the time, the space within the fly-wheel is thrown into communication with the atmosphere therethrough. At other times the fly- Wheel fits close enough to the wall of the crank-case to make a substantially tight oint.

A port 15 connects the crank-case with the upper portion of the annular chamber controlling the passage of gas therethrough. A compressed air port 17 also opens into the annular chamber, the same being connected to any place where it is desired to store the compressed gas, the passage of gas through this port being controlled by a valve 18. 19 is an intake-valve and 20 an exhaustvalve opening into the explosion space above the piston.

21 is a valve'operating cam which is adapted to engage successively rollers 22 and 23, the roller 22 being on a rocker-plate 24, the roller 23 on a rocker plate 25. The rocker-plate 24 is connected to the lower end of the valve-stem of the exhaust-valve 20, and the rocker-plate 25 has a tip 26 adapted to engage with a tip 27 on the lower end of the valvestem of the intake-valve 19, the lower end. of this valve-stem also being connected by a link 28 with an upward projection on the rocker-plate 24. The exhaust valve stem carries pivoted to it an inertia governor 29 having a tip 30 adapted to engage with a stationary block 31.

It will be evident from the foregoing construction that the rotation of the countershaft with the cam 21 will alternately operate the exhaust and intake rocker-plates 24 and 25, producing successive operation of the corresponding valves. When the engine is running above a certain predetermined speed, a weight 32 on the inertia governor 29, falling by gravity less rapidly than the exhaust valve stem is moved down by its spring, will cause the tip 30 ot' the inertia governor to engage with the block 31 holding the exhaust-valve open, and the rocker-plate 24 rotating counter-clockwise from the position shown in Fig. 1. This movement will force the lower end of the intake valve stem to the left so that it will not be engaged by the end of the rocker-plate 25 with the result that the intake-valve will not operate. This position is illustrated in Fig. 4. I

For the purpose of making the engine self-starting, a valve-stem 33 provided with a roller adapted to be engaged by a cam 34 on the countershaft is provided, and carries upon its upper end a hollow cylinder 35 having a shoulder 36. A valve 37 communicates with a compressed air opening 38 and is provided with a valve-stem 39 entering the cylinder 35 and normally pressed down Ward by a spring 40. The action of this spring is therefore to hold the valve 37 to its seat and to hold the cylinder 35 up with the shoulder 36 against its seat in the engine-frame. At this time the roller on the lower end of the valve=stem 33 is so elevated as not to be engaged by the cam 3 L. When compressed air is admitted to the compressed air opening 38 it forces the cylinder 35 downward, this cylinder being of larger size than the valve 37. The cam 34 thus comes into action producing periodical openings of the valve 37 with the result that the engine is started. The cam 34 is so ar.- ranged as to open the valve during the normal working stroke, intakes occurring during the intermediate stroke. The moment explosions begin the air-valve willnot be raised because the explosion pressure will be sufficient to hold the air-valve to its seat and the cylinder 35 will simply be raised by the cam. V

I am aware that considerable variation is possible in the details of this construction without departing from the spirit of my invention, and, while I have described the construction in detail in its preferred form, it is my intention to claim all the novelty which is inherent in the construction as broadly as is permitted by the state of the art. The construction has many advantages some of which can be secured by a modified form of construction which will still embody certain of the principles of my invention. Among these advantages are the self-starting feature and the peculiarly novel and simple construction in which it is embodied, the valve-arrangement combined with the governing method shown. When considered as a compressor, this device is exceedingly efficient because of the relatively-large cooling area when compared to the volume of the compression-space in the annular chamber. Furthermore, the same cooling water can be used for both the engine-space and the compressor, the water being admitted around thecooling space and gradually rising about the engine space so as to work when coldest in cooling the airv and when warmest in cooling the engine, therefore, working under the most desirable conditions on both partsv of the device.

I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a differential cylinder the head of which is of the smaller diameter, and a crank-case secured to the cylinder, of a differential piston havinga smaller part fitting within the smaller head part of the cylinder. and a flange fitting the of an internal combustion engine independ-' ent of the other twochambers, means for ad mitting gas to the crank-case chamber, a valve controlled communication between the crank-case chamber and the annular chamber, and an exhaust valve leading from the annular chamber, whereby the crank-case operates as the firstand the annular chamber as the second chamber of a two stage compressor.

2. The combination with a differential cylinder the head of which is of the smaller diameter, and a crank-case secured to the cylinder, of a differential piston havingla smaller part fitting within the smaller head part of the cylinder and a flange fitting the larger part of the cylinder whereby to form within the structure three spaces, to wit, a combustion chamber in the head of the cyl inder, an annular chamber in the lower part of the cylinder, and a crank-case chamber, means causing the operation of the combustion chamber as the corresponding chamber of-an internal combustion engine indepen ent of the other two chambers, means for acmitting gas to the crank-case chamber, a valve controlled communication between the crank case chamber and the annular chamber, an exhaust valve leading from the an nular chamber, whereby the crank-case operates as the first and the annular chamber as the second chamber of a two stage compressor, and a .water jacket surrounding the annular chamber and the combustion cham CHARLES E. SARGENT. 1 r

In the presencev of.

. A. U. TH RI N, BRA. SOHAEFER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gbmmjssioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. a 

